Beach Boys Announce Reunion Tour

A 50-year anniversary and new album are bringing California's iconic group back together

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The Beach Boys were named one of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” in 2004 by Rolling Stone.

The band that put California’s easy-going lifestyle to music is back.

Founding members of the Beach Boys – Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine – announced Friday that they are reuniting for a 50-date tour simultaneously celebrating the band’s 50th anniversary and new album release.

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“From our humble beginnings as brothers, cousins and friends, we have been honored to sing the praises of California, and I'm really excited for our fans to be able to see us again in concert on the world stage,” Jardine said in a statement.

The group was supposed to announce their reunion as a surprise during the Recording Academy's live nominations special for the Grammys last month, but those plans fell through, according to Rolling Stone.

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But Jardine said the group planned to appear at the Feb. 12 Grammy telecast in Los Angeles, and the unexpected will still play a role.

"There will be a surprise at the Grammys," he told Rolling Stone. "We will do something really exciting. There's a lot of interest in it, which is nice. It's going to be a very big operation."

With a repertoire that includes “Good Vibrations,” “I Get Around” and “California Girls,” the group made their quintessentially Californian impression on the music scene.

As the band evolved, their musical styling shifted from beachy to surreal. Their psychedelic period yielded the 1965 album “Pet Sounds,” which was named the No. 2 rock album of all time by Rolling Stone.

Formed in 1961, the band included Love, Jardine, Wilson and his two brothers – Carl and Dennis, who have since died.

The new tour will feature members Bruce Johnston and David Marks, both of whom have been with the band for decades.

"This anniversary is special to me because I miss the boys, and it will be a thrill for me to make a new record and be on stage with them again," Wilson said in a statement.

Mental health troubles, substance abuse and in-band litigation fueled years of animosity among the members but Love remarked in the statement Friday that he and Wilson were getting along well - sharing compliments, or dare we say good vibrations, in the studio.

The Beach Boys first concert is scheduled for April 27 at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.